Recovering Truths
by Ms. AtomicBomb
Summary: Anastasia's Journey to her friend gets her into trouble with the Imperials. After being captured and nearly executed, Anastasia finds out she is the Dovahkiin, but is she the only one? Will The Stormcloaks liberate Skyrim? In "Recovering Truths" we figure out about Anastasia's true Heritage, rebellions within the Empire and the downfall of the Thalmor's power on The Ruby Throne.
1. Recovering Truths

**[ATTENTION: BEFORE YOU READ THIS. IF YOU HAVE ALREADY READ THIS. KNOW THAT THERE IS MORE WRITTEN. I TOOK DOWN THE PILOT BECAUSE I HAD NOTICED THAT I WROTE A DIFFERENT NAME FOR THE MAIN CHARACTER AT FIRST AND NOW, FEELING BAD I HAVE DECIDED TO ADD 1400 MORE WORDS TO THE STORY! IF YOU HAVE READ THIS ALREADY, PLEASE READ FULLY! THANK YOU.]**

**[Author's Note: Alright, so this Pilot has been in session for around four months. I have been meaning to publish it since I created it, but I wanted to write more, not having enough time, I forgot about the project and now I am publishing it since its just a story sitting there in my Archives. Even if one person actually is interested in this story, and you feel the need for me to continue it, then I will gladly do so. I do want to do this story because I really like the concept that I want to portray, at this point, the story starts off slow, but after this pilot, a lot of things will happen in brief moments. As well, if you have any opinions on things for me to make far more accurate, or if you want me to add a character that you have in mind (be it cannon or one that you created) then I will gladly like to add them into this story.]**

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Pilot: Recovering Truths

Everyone in town had been talking about it; it filled the walls of Markarth like a cold bite from an Icewrath. The gossip leaked from the very bricks of every house in this wretched City of Stone; she detested it. The very city that had taken her in when she was most vulnerable was now leaching at her. She felt at guilt for the circumstances; but she knew that it was not, the slightest bit, her fault. Walking from the Temple to the market and back always felt like a long journey. Although she wished to hear solely her footsteps and her huffs of breath as she walked to the temple, that was not the case; the murmurs and whispers of the people haunted her mind; like wild beasts attacking an Elk, hoping it will not be their last meal.

Huffing loudly, she had finally reached the Temple; the only place where she found safety. The stone walls seemed to radiate with peaceful atmosphere; it enclosed her in a sort of warmth she could never find anywhere else in the city. Setting the produce in a near by stone table, she could not help to notice the beautiful statues of the goddess Dibella positioned in pairs at both ends of the Temple's main room.

"Anastasia, did you obtain what I had asked?" Priestess Senna called to her.

Anastasia turned to face the other, her blue eyes darting her way. "Yes ma'am, I have brought what you wanted."

"Good..." Senna trailed as she smiled sorrowfully.

Anastasia had not noticed it at first but as the smile lingered a while longer, she realized that Senna held heavy-heartedness within her gesture. "What seems to be bothering you, Senna?" She inquired with a puzzled look.

"Oh Anastasia... I've been thinking... I've..." She paused as if to rethink her statement.

Anastasia watched the other carefully, fearing that Senna would begin to talk about _ it... _what the city kept buzzing about...

"Would it not be lovely for us to have children, you know, if we were not Priestesses of Dibella?" Senna clapped her hands together with a cheerful yet dissatisfying grin on her face.

"Yes, it would be such a wonderful gift from Dibella to allow us to bear a child." The blue eyed young lady sighed in relief.

"Well, you know, there is a way to have children..." Senna spoke in a low tone, so that the other could not hear.

"Umm... Well, what do you mean? I thought we were only able to live our whole lives in worship of Dibella." Anastasia questioned as her voice held concern as she was dumbfounded.

"What I mean to say is... that... not all are called to be Priestesses, but are brought without choice of Dibella." Senna quickly responded to the confused lady.

"What do you mean?"

"You know Anastasia, its getting a bit late, and we need to cook a meal for the High Priestess. Come along now, I'll teach you my famous Cooked Stew Recipe." She gestured for the other to follow her, of course bringing the produce with them to the inner chambers.

_What did she mean that not all of us are chosen? What was she hinting at? Did she find out that I've secretly wanted a different life? I mean, I do love Dibella and what she has to offer, but I feel as if this is not truly for me, I desire a stronger life, a challenging one, _Anastasia thought to herself as she walked down the steps leading to the inner chamber. Slowly, Senna opened the pine-wood doors and soon showed the wonderful hall before them. High Priestess Hamal greeted them upon their arrival, and gestured to help them in their cooking.

"So Anastasia, as you have noticed, word around town does not greet you well. There has been some speculations that you had had some problems with Priestess Osla right before she left for her voyage to the Throat of the World. A job that was _originally_ bestowed upon you, but in contrary she had taken it. I know that you may not be tied to what occurred to her poor soul, but I feel as if it should be _your_ duty to retrieve _her _from where she has been left." Stated High Priestess Hamal.

"I understand, I will leave early in the morrow, so that I have a shorter voyage." Responded Anastasia with a saddened voice while staring at the ground, trying to avoid the High Priestess' older face.

Just as she had said, at the peak of dawn, Anastasia began to pack for her journey and was ready to leave but was quickly stopped by the High Priestess.

"Oh my dear Anastasia, you do not need to leave in such secrecy and humiliation. I understand your feelings and your duty, and therefore I have decided to pay five guards to escort you in your journey to take you and bring you back from your long voyage. Do not fret my child, this will only take a couple of hours, and with these guards, you will feel safe." Assured Hamal with a kind tone in her voice.

"Thank you very much High Priestess! I really appreciate that, I will see if I can pay you back for all of this!" Anastasia exclaimed in cheerfulness.

"Don't you worry child, you have always paid us with your presence." High Priestess replied with little to no tone.

As Anastasia walked down the Temple's steps, she noticed that even in the early hour, many where still out and gossiping. Being her last minutes in Markarth, she would have thought they would have been different, maybe in agony, sadness and pain, but now, she noticed that even thought she was not happy to leave, it did not sadden her much. Yes, she would miss the laughter of the children playing in the streets, the busy market noises and the constant sound of the beautiful waterfall. Passing the city walls, Anastasia saw her carriage and guards awaiting her. She felt so honoured, so important, to be privately escorted by five guards and a carriage simply for her. A guard approached her and soon began to converse with her on their way to the carriage.

"Are you the one that is called Anastasia?" spoke the Guard Captain in a sharp tone.

"Yes, I am her. Priestess of Dibella. Will you be escorting me on my journey today?" Anastasia responded affirmatively.

"Alright, excellent. Now that we have that sorted out, we can go on our way." Stated the Guard Captain.

Feeling ignored, she began to think of her past memories. Once_ the carriage began moving, I decided to look back on the city one last time. I took note of its beautiful architecture that many deemed 'uncultured' and 'poor' and decided to draw myself a simple sketch, it was not much, but enough to bring me melancholy thoughts of my childhood, being raised in a Temple was joyful, but not truly a fun experience. While I had to meditate, the other kids were outside playing tag or hide and seek. The Priestess barely allowed me to adventure out of the city walls since they were afraid I was to be taken, by who? by what? I dont think anyone or anything around here would even bother to take me, someone of no importance. Even now, the High Priestess did not need to hire a private carriage and guards simply for me. This journey could have easily been done by foot, yes, it would have taken me some time, but it would be extremely cost efficient- _Anastasia was suddenly stopped in her thought process. The carriage had been suddenly halted and the she noticed the Guard Captain was speaking to some Imperials on the road. He then stopped, and as the Imperials passed them, the Guard Captain neared her.

"It appears that there has been some rumours of a few bandits near by. If we take any shortcuts, we may be ambushed, but we are able to arrive to Helgen at a quicker time. Staying on the road may be safer but it should take longer to reach our destinaton. It is up to you, we are able to defend you from a couple of bandits, but nothing more then a group of five." Spoke the Captain.

"Hmm, I believe it should be safer to follow the road. Yes, it may take us time, but I want us all to arrive safely." Assured Anastasia.

"As you wish, ma'am." Replied the Captain, "Alright men, in your positions." Commanded the Captain to his Guards.

Back into her thoughts, Anastasia began to wonder about what could have happened to Priestess Osla on her journey to the Throat of the World, and how she ended up near Helgen. Yes, a path to the Throat of the World was of south, and quicker but not the safest. She began to have some conversations with the Guards, asking about their names and stories. She was mostly intrigued by the Captain and his life.

"So, how old are you Captain...Sir?" Asked Anastasia.

"Well, I have recently celebrated my birthday, just turned twenty-four on this 12th Middas." Responded the Captain.

"Oh is that so? I do not think I have seen you around Markarth, am I correct?" Inquired Anastasia.

"Yes miss. I am actually from Dragon Bridge, your High Priestess hired me since I appeared to be the best fit for this job."

"Oh so you are from Dragon Bridge. I have never wandered outside of Markarth. Tell me, how is it there?"

"Well, it is nothing much. We are a simple town with a Dragon Bridge which is where our town's name come from. It is mostly farmland, and we have a Penitus Oculatus outpost. It was because of them that I decided to become a Guard, my parents thought it was a silly idea, they wanted me to run the mill, but I did not have interest in such affairs. I wanted more, to see the world, and work for others as a private guard. My parents understood, and helped me raise funds to live in Solitude, to join the guards there. In Solitude, it started out hard, with barely any time to sleep but I knew I would soon rise up the ranks-"

She then signaled with her hand to the Captain to stop speaking. He was confused and quiet offended by her gestures. Anastasia soon ordered the rider to stop the carriage and began to step off. She slowly walked towards the Shire of Dibella near the Old Hroldan Inn and decided to begin to mediate to Dibella. The Captain was now a bit understanding of her gestures, but was still angered by them. He gave her her time in her meditation and once she was done, he helped her up into the carriage once again.

Now leaving The Reach's territory, her carriage began to enter the sweet pine forest of the Falkreath Hold. Anastasia was in amazement of this new found area of Skyrim. She had not traveled this far and even thought the journey scared her, she felt at peace with the forest. The trees filtered the sunlight with their leaves and she could spot some rabbits and foxes running about in the woods. The trees towered over the carriage as if hiding them from the sun and the birds high above. She breathed in and huffed a big sigh, the forest was lovely. She could hear the birds chirp and all that was good in the world. Maybe she could build a little cabin and live there. The woods seemed to be so lovely, yet at the same time, they seemed to beckon her into something more. It was as if trying to tell her a secret. The forest was truly different from Markarth, she now understood why everyone detested that city, Falkreath was far more gorgeous then The Reach, over there, there was only rocks, mountains, and water everywhere, but here, there was more life. The trees danced with the wind, the birds, singing lullabies and a herd of deer running through, as if they could fly. Her train of thought was now paused as the carriage began to slow down to a stop.

"What is happening?" She peaked out the window and checked the front of the carriage asking the rider.

"Into position men, get off your horses and line up." Ordered the Captain.

Anastasia was now worried at the scene, she did not understand what was occurring, was it an ambush? A step up?

"Do not fret, ma'am, it is simply an inspection; nothing more and nothing less." The captain noted the worried look on the female's face.

With the simple understanding of the situation, she sighed in relief and was also ordered by the Captain to exit the carriage.

The Falkreath Guards began to check the whole carriage, her belongings and food. She felt somewhat violated but the Captain assured that it was a simple procedure for entering the city, nothing that was targeting her. He then told her to gather more supplies since they were running out for the round trip. Therefore, she began to walk into the new city. This one was different from Markarth, it did not have any mountains directly near it; it was simply surrounded by pine trees, everywhere. The people here began to note the new stranger, they looked at her and began to murmur about her odd clothing, the simple robes suggested that she was Priestess, but of what Aedra? Mara? Kynareth? Dibella? She felt the pressure again, the murmurs, did everybody know of what she took fault in? She may have been miles away from Markarth but the feelings came back, of being the center of town, where everyone just gossiped about, she wanted out, and now. She quickly bought the supplies that the Captain had asked for and scurried her way towards him.

"I do not like it here, people are talking of me and I came here to have a good time, but I honestly feel like I am being attacked." She told the Captain.

"What are they saying of you? I mean I do not find anything wrong with you."

"They're murmuring, just like they were in Markarth. I hate it." She muttered.

"Come with me." The male ordered as he grabbed a hold of her hand gently and she followed after him as he returned to the village.

She mimicked his steps and entered like he had, head held high and a strong walk, okay, she was not exactly copying him, but she was close enough. The people began to whisper again, they never really saw strangers in their city often.

He made his way to the blacksmith and ordered for his sword to be sharpened.

"Have you ever held a sword?" He looked towards her.

She averted her blue eyes from his gaze and watched as the blacksmith sharpened the sword. "No, though I have always wanted to. Us priestesses cannot dream of ever wielding a sword either way." Her shoulders were lifted in a shrug.

"I could buy you one, if you would like. I know that it is forbidden within the priestesses, but you must be able to protect yourself from any harm when it approaches you." He winked.

"You could be right." She let her lips curl into a smile and he nodded.

"Exactly, then I must be able to teach you the basics before we part ways."

"Thank you."

"Hmm." The male gave a short nod and laughed lightly as he was handed his sword. "I would also like to purchase one."

"Of course." The blacksmith nodded and led them into the shop, where he had some swords.

"Which one would you like?" The captain asked.

"The cheapest." Anastasia mumbled.

He looked upon the swords and even held some in his hands. "Now that I think of it, how are you going to hide a sword in the temple?"

Anastasia blinked a couple of times and sighed in defeat. "Then I guess I cannot own one." She had never thought of that.

"I shall get you a dagger then." He smiled and did just that. It was not the cheapest, but neither the most expensive one, and he even bought her a sheath.

They began walking back and he started by showing her how to hold the dagger. "You see, you want to wrap your fingers around it tightly, but have your thumb facing the tip, against the grip; Understood?" He demonstrated and she nodded. He handed it to her so that she could give it a try.

Upon holding the weapon, she became fascinated and first inspected it, the Captain could not help but laugh for she looked like a little child. Doing as the Captain had instructed, she held it in her hands.

"Holding it this way gives you more of a grip, but of course this is just a basic grip lesson." He shrugged, knowing that his explanation was not entirely correct.

"Mmhmm." She nodded lightly and by now had forgotten that people were staring her way because she was so caught up in the dagger.

He was smiling as they left the city and entered the carriage once again.

"We will reach Helgen shortly, ma'am."

"Captain...Sir, I don't exactly know your name..." She spoke so lightly that he would have not heard if it weren't for them being close.

"Oliver, ma'am, my name is Oliver." He nodded after closing the carriage door and leaving her alone inside.

As the carriage began to move out of the city it lead her to her thoughts. At this point, the sky began to near dawn, and the trees began to give off a dark scene, she began to feel a bit uncomfortable, but was feeling assured of her entourage. The soft galloping of the horses, the sound of the breeze going through the trees all allowed for her to feel at home, in the safe keeping of the warm temple. Falling asleep, Anastasia began to ponder about what had occurred to her friend near Helgen and drifted off to a dream.

"WATCH THE BOWMEN! KEEP THE CARRIAGE SECURE!" Commanded the Guard Captain to his fellow Guards.

Anastasia was woken up by such order. It all came to her in an instance, the horses were whining, and the carriage windows were covered in blood. At this point, Anastasia was in mental turmoil, all she could hear was the Guard Captain shout out commands and hear fighting outside her carriage. Just as her mind was trying to cope with what was occurring; a sudden arrow was shot through her front window, thankfully missing her neck by mere inches. A bandit was now trying to enter the carriage through the broken window and as Anastasia began to fear for her life, she quickly grasped her dagger and was ready to attack the bandit only to see him bleed from his chest.

As the bandit fell to the floor, Oliver-The Guard Captain-peeked into the carriage "Ma'am! You must leave now, we are under attack by seven bandits and I feel as if you may not be safe at this point. Please, get on a horse and-"

"Sir! Behind you!" Screamed Anastasia as she saw a bandit approach Oliver with a sword dripping with blood.

As Oliver was fighting off the bandit, Anastasia quickly took in the scene. There were two guards and three bandits dead near the horses, the other two guards were fighting off bandits as well and the Captain was taking a toll from the remaining bandit. All Anastasia could think of was to escape such horror scene, and was ready to free the horses. With her back to the Captain she turned around and saw that he was struggling.

"Oliver-I mean Sir! Please hurry up, I do not want to stay here any longer!"

"Ma'am, I am terribly sorry by as you can see-" The bandit's blade made a quick attack and nearly beheaded the Captain, making small grunts, the Captain was able to injure the Bandit and swiftly end him.

"Pardon me for that interruption Ma'am, but as I was saying, I feel that-"

Again, the Captain was interrupted by the chaos.

"Sir! Get M'lady to safety, we can handle these three bandits! Just get on a horse and leave!"

As the Guard finished his statement, Oliver was then shot by an arrow through his shoulder. Anastasia began to fear for her life and was scrambling through her satchel to give him a Health Potion. As Oliver took the health potion, he got on his horse and they galloped away from the battle. Looking back, Oliver could see his men struggle with the bandits but was feeling assured to their abilities.

"Oliver-I mean Sir, are you alright, do you need more potions?" Anastasia said as to make the Captain forget about ordeal that was occurring before them.

"No thank you Ma'am, I think I am feeling better with the potion you gave me just now, and please, call me Oliver from now on" Replied the Captain with a slight smirk.

Reaching Helgen, the Town's Guards quickly went to their aid and helped the Captain step of his horse.

"Oliver, please stay in Helgen till I return. My friend is just a few meters away from Helgen and I can get there alone safely"

"No, I cannot leave you alone, my job is to keep you safe and that is what I intend of doing. I must stay with you till we return to Markarth."

"But please! Oliver, I do not want you to die from this mere injury in this harsh weather"

"As I have said Anastasia, I am here to protect you every step of your journey."

Feeling defeated, Anastasia agreed to allow the Captain to venture with her out into the snow forest of Helgen. Looking to her left, she could see the Throat of the World towering before her and began to feel insecure about her friend's occurrence. Leaving Helgen on simply a horse made her feel insecure and she could see that the Captain was now beginning to sweat.

Nearing their destination, the Captain began to cough and Anastasia was beginning to feel weary of him. For what Anastasia could not see, was that the Captain was now coughing blood. Even thought the Captain was trying to keeping it subtle, he now began to feel intolerable pain and fell off his horse. Anastasia quickly saw the Captain's sudden fall and raced to his rescue. Being a bit knowledgeable about medical procedures, she began to treat his wounds and gave him a few health potions. Oliver then took notice of a dead body behind her and signaled for her to approach it. Anastasia then turned around and fell to her knees, began to cry and placed her hands on her face as to cover the tears. The reason for her tears were not for pity of the dead body that was before her, but because of the fact that it was her friend, Priestess Osla. As Anastasia cried her heart out, the Captain tried to confront her but by doing so, Anastasia felt a kind of violation and pushed him away from her, towards the floor. She then turned to him and was about to ask for forgiveness until she was stopped at her movements.

"What are you doing over there?" A harsh voice blurted out from behind her. It was an Imperial Guard, leading two cargo carriages of war criminals.

"Oh! No, its not what it looks like, It is a mis-"

"ARREST HER SOLDIERS. This lady has clearly killed her friend and is currently trying to kill this guard!" Signaled the Guard to his fellow Guardsmen.

In seconds, before Anastasia or even Oliver could explain, she was arrested and Oliver was taken to an Infirmary. As he tried to explain, words could not escape from his mouth. In agony he began to cry for the fear that was coming before him, about his injury, and Anastasia's possible future execution. Stripped from her clothes, she was only given rags and forced to get on the second cargo carriage of criminals. Trying to explain herself, an Imperial Soldier hit her in the head and knocked her out. Before she could close her eyes, she saw Helgen again, but this time, the town was not welcoming her.

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**[Author's Note: So, I am not sure on how you liked it, I hope that you enjoyed reading this pilot, again, if you liked it, just give me a review and I will certainly keep it going. Pardon me if it was a bit boring, this was the hardest piece to make since I wanted to give you all a good idea on how the character sees things on Skyrim and how they will interact. As well! Thank you for reading!]**


	2. Imprisonment

**[Author's Note: Hey, so thank you all for reading the first chapter. This chapter will be a tad bit shorter and will be very repetitive in relation to how the actual Skyrim game starts. As well, if you want to skip the intro of the game, start reading from when the second line begins! Besides from that, please review and follow the story :)!]**

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Waking up from the hit, Anastasia began to suddenly see where she was. It appeared that the cargo carriages were traveling towards Helgen and began to note the conversation the criminals were having. It seemed that the Imperials were taking Ulfric Stormcloack, the leader of the Stormcloacks to Helgen for a public execution along with his fellow rebels. At this point, Anastasia was really confused and worried, for the fact that she was possibly going to be executed for a crime that she did not commit.

Entering Helgen she could hear the locals talk about them and felt ashamed that she was entering this town in such horrible manner. While the cargo carriage was stopped at the end of a wall, Anastasia was forced to get out and before she could try and think of a way to convince the Imperials to set her free she witness her first execution, one of the criminals in the carriage began to run away, yelling that he was not part of the rebels and was shot down by an arrow that pierced right through is heart. In shock, Anastasia began to breathe heavily but slowly as for the Imperials not to see her pain. Being forced to line up, she turned away before she saw another criminal be executed, this time she was also not able to avoid the scene since the criminal's head rolled to her feet. In fear, she jumped away and screamed. Right after her scene, she was forced to be executed.

"Any last words Ma'am?" Stated the Executioner

"Yes, I am sorry for-"

She was stopped at her speech, a sudden roar sounded, as if it was from a great big animal, maybe bigger then a mammoth thought Anastasia.

"Woah, what was that! Did you hear that Sir?" Said a fellow Imperial to her Officer

"I have never heard such sound before maybe it is-"

"Have you heard the rumours Sir? Dragons have been seen lately!" An Imperial said before the Officer could complete his conclusion.

"Damnation to Talos! What lies are you trying to pass here? Be quiet at what you say around here!" Ordered the Officer to his Imperial

"Yes Sir" Responded the Imperial

"Alright then, onward with this execution!" Commanded the Officer

Before she could say any words, Anastasia was forced to the floor as she was about to get decapitated. From now, this all happened too fast for her, as if she was in a dream, or had been drugged. From the sky, a Dragon arrived and destroyed the town, fleeing for her life, she followed an Imperial that went by the name of Hadvar, thought out the whole time, she could remember going underground in some tunnels and was feeling scared to know if Hadvar would kill her in the end. The last thing she could remember was finally leaving the underground tunnels and hearing Hadvar tell her to meet him in Riverwood. From then on, seeing him leave she began faint. Was it because she had not eaten or drank anything in two days? Or was it because she was now reacting to what happened in Helgen, to see a whole town be destroyed by a huge flying beast and see people get burned alive? She herself did not understand but falling to the ground she began to let go of what was occurring to her body.

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Anastasia was now woken up by the sounds of Elk herds passing by her body. Not realizing where she was, and what had occurred, Anastasia darted up. Standing now, she noticed she was wearing some strange armour. To her knowledge she guessed it was an Imperial Armor and was surprised as to how she had it on. She then began to try and recall what had occurred in the past few days during her arrival to Helgen, and as things now began to fly into her mind she remembered of a man called Hadvar that helped her out of the chaos in Helgen, but as well, another man, a much kinder and lovelier one, that went by the name of Oliver.

Not knowing where she exactly was, she began to follow the path set before her, she could remember that she could find the Imperial named Hadvar in Riverwood, but where was Riverwood exactly? During her journey down the path, Anastasia began to now fully remember the shocking events of the past days and was feeling more confident in herself now as a person by being able to overcome such things, something she thought was not possible back when she lived in the Temple. At this point, Anastasia had three goals to finish. First, to give a proper burial ceremony to her friend; Priestess Osla. Secondly, to venture out and find the Captain named Oliver and thirdly, to ask Hadvar some questions of what had occurred in Helgen.

Walking down the path, she could see a lake of some sort and now she was able to see a town in the distance, was it Riverwood? Thinking to herself Anastasia began to head towards the unknown town; now nearing such town she approached a guard;

"Hello Sir, Um may I ask what the name of this town is?" Asked Anastasia shyly

"Riverwood of course! Where do you live to not know? Under a rock?" Replied the guard with a laugh at the end of his response.

"Thank you! I was wondering if you have seen a Imperial pass by here, a man with the name of Hadvar that has long brown hair, big in stature and strong face features?"

"Umm, I have one seen one Imperial pass by this way, he was in a hurry and seemed like he had just arrived from Oblivion just like you! He went to the town's Blacksmith, seemed pretty suspicious if you ask me..."

"Thank you for your help Officer. Ill be on my way then"

"Alright, don't let the dragons get to you" Joked the Guard with a belly laugh at the end

Entering town, she could see Riverwood was more lively then Helgen, possibly because of the weather, but alas reaching her destination she could see Hadvar standing outside the blacksmith's house.

"Hello Imperial! I am Priestess Anastasia, I think you rescued me out of the terrible battle in Helgen"

"Oh, it's you! I thought you died shortly after, I have been here wondering where you could have possibly been but now I am feeling rest assured that you are alive! I was certain you would have died back there if I did not escort you, but heck! You were good with the sword in the underground tunnels!"

"Thank you. I learned a few skills from my friend Oliver, he's a Captain in the Haafingar region. Say, do you know if anyone was scripted into the Imperial Infirmary in Helgen?"

"Helgen does not have an Infirmary, there is an Imperial Fort nearby which houses an Infirmary, he may have been taken there..thought I forgot which fort has the Infirmary. Aside from this, I feel as if you should stay with us for as long as you want, you saved my life back there in the underground tunnels by watching my back and I have the need to watch yours up to the time you think it is right."

"Oh, thank you very much, I need to travel back to Markarth soon, possibly the Priestesses are worried for what could have happened to me by now"

"Oh, you are a Priestess? I did not see it, you were such skilled with the sword and bow I thought you were a Mercenary"

"Yes, I am a Priestess, but, sometimes I feel like I should not be, I mean, I like the practice, but I feel as if I am needed for a greater calling, something more, you know?"

"Yeah, I get you. My family wanted me to be town guard at first, I did like the idea, but being an Imperial Officer was more intriguing to me; I had a stronger calling with it"

"Yes, exactly! I feel the same"

"Anyways, enough of such conversation! We should go on and eat, it seems like your body right now is very weak! Ill get you some food and health potions, just simply go inside the house and I'll meet you there"

"Alright, thank you very much for allowing me to stay here Hadvar, it is an honour to be here"

"No problem, its nothing big!" Replied Hadvar with a chuckle in his tone.

Walking into the house, she noted that there was a lady with a child. They greeted her nicely and she greeted them back. Having small talk with the woman, Anastasia began to prepare the table for the meal that was coming. During lunch time, they all spoke about their days and Hadvar began to speak about what occurred at Helgen, the woman then dismissed her child with the excuse that the content that was being said was far too mature for them. After Hadvar finished talking everyone began to ask Anastasia about her life, she responded nicely and they all were kind of her. One, of the questions stood out from the rest;

"So, Hadvar here has been single for a while, and it looks like age is now getting to him...what do you think Anastasia? Wouldn't a lady at your age be looking for a man like him?" Absurdly asked the woman

"Well, I am only twenty-two, Hadvar does look like a fit man, and I agree the time is now running past us but I am currently not looking for a partner. Life here in Skyrim may be small and dangerous but I believe I may live longer the usual"

'Ah, how so? Did the Priestesses tell you that? A way of an illusion to make you feel young?" Responded the woman, trying not to sound rude, but obviously doing so

"No, they did not. I just simply feel like I will, that's just it. Nothing more nothing less"

"Well, alright, you know if Hadvar ever-"

"Please stop honey, we know she is not interested in Hadvar at this point, let her be." Stated the blacksmith

"Yes, I agree. Anyways, it is getting late, we need to head to bed." Said Hadvar as to avoid the whole embarrassing conversation.

Anastasia soon found herself lying on the child's bed. Sadly, the child had to sleep on the floor and this saddened her therefore right after everyone fell asleep, she decided to switch beds with the child and this allowed her to fall asleep in peace.

* * *

Anastasia now woke up to the chirping sound of birds outside the windows. Getting up she noticed that she was the only one left in the house and rushed to get ready, all she had to wear was her Imperial Armour, which she was not used to since it got her tired easily. Nearing Hadvar outside the house, they began to converse;

"Hello Anastasia, looks like you are a heavy sleeper" His tone was light and joyful

"Oh no, I'm not I was just really tired and it felt like my body did not want to wake up, your house was so cozy it never wanted to leave"she returned the gesture

"Ah yes, is it not? Anyways, I see you have a good hand with the sword, mind you joining the Legionnaires in Solitude? You could possibly find your friend over there"

"Ah yes, I think that may be a wise decision, would you come with me to Solitude?"

"Well, I would, but I feel as if I need more rest here in Riverwood, if you ever need me, just pass by alright? Here is some Septims and food, you need them for your journey to Solitude. Be careful and make sure that all goes well!"

"Thank you very much! I will come back after I find my friend"

"Alright, don't worry, take your time!" Finished with a joking manner

Travelling out of Riverwood, Anastasia saw the city where she needed to take her carriage, the great and powerful Whiterun. Even in Markath she heard the stories of the stronghold of Whiterun, from the vast attacks of giants and even rebels, some even said that it was safer then Solitude, but she knew that was a lie. Approaching the city, she noted that even though it was mid-day, the journey to Solitude would take long and therefore she decided to find an Inn in Whiterun. After a night's stay in Whiterun, she began to reach the stables and headed out to Solitude. Her journey would take long, but Anastasia knew that this decision was for the best.

* * *

**[Author's Note: Alright, so first thing! As you can see, this whole chapter was RUSHED. The reason for that is, first, I don't want to retell what happened in the game, I don't want to game plot at all. So, for two chapters, the story will seem a BIT rushed, but don't worry, it gets better. Secondly, lets have some discussion; did you guys think that she was 22 years old? Also, what are your thoughts on her relationships with Hadvar and Oliver?]**


	3. Pursuit of Change

Waking up from an Infirmary near Helgen, Oliver soon realized what had occurred near Helgen. Trying to move, he noticed that he had some minor wounds all over his body but the one that hurt him the most was from his right shoulder. To his knowledge, he remembered that an arrow had pierced through it from the front, but he did not believe it would be this bad. Before he could try and get up from the bed he was lying upon, and Imperial Soldier arrived into the Infirmary room.

"Greetings guard, may I ask what your name is?"

"I am Captain Oliver, dweller of Dragonbridge, can you tell me why I am here? Or to begin with, where I am? Also, how long have I have been out?"

"You are here because you have been badly wounded, you were dying because you did not properly treat your wounds in time. We are currently in a Fortress South of Helgen-or what remains of Helgen now. To record, you have been asleep for four days, to be honest, I thought you were dead by now; we got some good healers to help you and you were not responding well"

"Wait, what do you mean 'or what remains of Helgen now'? What happened to Helgen?"

"Well, the day you were brought here, a dragon attack Helgen-"

"A dragon? Do you really think I am that young to believe your lies?"

"By Talos I swear! I did not believe it myself as well but the whole town is not destroyed, shame that is, Helgen was a good stop for refreshments..."

"So you are not lying then..do you know what happened to the lady that I was with, before I was brought here?"

"You mean your potential killer? Well she was taken to Helgen when we found you two. Don't fret, she is probably dead by now, if not by the axe, then by the dragon's rage!"

" No, no, no, no! She wasn't my killer! She was my contractor! She was trying to help me! What do you mean you sent her to be executed!? Are you all crazy! How did you think she was going to kill me!? She's just a Priestess!"

"Woah, calm down! Pardon us for trying to help you, you ungrateful snob!"

"Eh, I don't need this, I don't need you! I need to find her now!"

Getting up, Oliver now felt his bones stiff but his muscles turn to jelly. It was difficult for him to stand up, but with his will, he was able to.

"Ey! Come back you idiot! You haven't recovered fully and you can get a horrible cold from outside! Your body is still weak, come back!"

Oliver now trying to leave the Fortress, he began to head towards the stables and managed to find his horse. Trying his best, he was able to get on his horse and even though it was troublesome for him, he began to ride towards Helgen. At this point, the Infirmary Officer had given up on his attempts to help Oliver and simply began to head back to his room.

Reaching Helgen, Oliver yet again felt unbearable pain, this time a little less worse then the other time, but still painful. Stopping his horse, he then got off and noticed that he felt far better then before. Scoping what was left of Helgen, Oliver soon found himself in a problem. From what he could see of the remaining bodies was that none of them were of a Priestess, and if she was stripped from her clothes, they could not be found anywhere and none of the bodies were similar in stature and shape of her's.

Thinking of ways that Anastasia could have escaped, Oliver took out his map, he knew of a town near by called Riverwood. There were higher chances of her arriving there if she survived, but afterwards? Possibly Whiterun to the nearest cargo carriage or directly back to Markath on foot, he also knew that he was now around three days behind her.

Heading towards Riverwood, Oliver took note of some tracks. He saw that there were two pair of human tracks, both from Imperial Soldier, a woman and a man. At this point, he began to get worried, what if he was heading the wrong path? What if Anastasia was heading towards her dead friend? At this point, Oliver now began to head back, to where they found her dead body.

Now reaching The general area of where the corpse of Anastasia's friend was, Oliver saw that it was kept intact, by now he understood that Anastasia did not arrive here but travelled to Riverwood. Before he approached the body, he began to hear howls of wolves near him. Oliver then took out his sword and was ready to battle the pack.

They came from behind him. He was able to doge an attack from one but another was able to bite his calf, Oliver yelled in agony but quickly stabbed the wolf on the neck; freeing himself and his sword from the dead wolf, two more then came to attack him, feeling still weak Oliver managed to hold back the attacks of both wolves, and surprisingly beat the pack of six wolves while battling with is left hand.

Nearing the body, Oliver decided to give Anastasia's friend a proper burial in the woods of Skyrim. He began to gather rocks and make a make-shift casket along with wood for the Priestess. After his finished the burial ceremony, Oliver decided to head back to Riverwood.

Oliver then decided to approach the Blacksmith's house and saw an Imperial Officer working on a sword.

"Hello Officer, I am Captain Oliver of Dragonbridge. I came here to ask you a few questions about what had occurred in Helgen"

"Ah hello Captain Oliver, your name sounds familiar to me..but sure go ahead"

"Alright, well I wanted to know, what was the name of the Imperial woman that escaped Helgen with you"

"Ah! Now I know why I knew your name! You're the friend of the Priestess..Anastasia! Right?"

"Yes! How did you meet her?"

"Well, she came as a prisoner but I sort of freed her, I know I know, I shouldn't have but I believed her that she was not a criminal, anyways she's heading towards Solitude because she taught she would find you there, you're already some days behind her so you better hurry up!"

"Thank you so much-I'm sorry, what was your name again?"

"Hadvar"

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you, I better get going then!"

Heading towards Solitude, Oliver decided to stop at Whiterun to ask some questions about what Anastasia planned on doing, stopping by the Banneredmare he asked a few of the habitants some questions and decided that even it being near dusk he needed to travel to Solitude as soon as possible. Oliver knew that riding into the wilds of Skyrim was dangerous, and specially when you are not fully restored as him but his objective was only to arrive to Anastasia as soon as possible before she began moving cities again.

By midnight Oliver had only been out of Whiterun Territory and began entering Morthal Territory when he heard some cracklings in the forest, his horse began to be in fright mode and he could now see two red darting eyes staring at him.

"Come out wolves! I've fought you before and killed you all, I can do it again!"

Waiting for an attack, Oliver only heard a response,

"Well looks like you are in bad luck today, have you ever tried killing a vampire?" Devilishly Chucked the being.


	4. Into the Darkness

**[AUTHOR'S NOTE]: First thing first, this chapter took the longest because, its sort of a filler.. and I was really busy with things, also this is the shortest story and its in the view of the reader seeing Oliver. Now, a quick spoiler! Next chapter is going to be really just a narrative and we will sort of go over a year of what Anastasia has done on Skyrim. Hard to explain right now, but you'll see it. Also, please review on this story because I fend off the love and attention from you all! ALSO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING AND FOLLOWING THIS STORY! WITHOUT YOU ALL, I WOULD HAVE BEEN A HOMELESS CHIBI PERSON.. WEEABOO.**

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

* * *

"Vampire or not, I can take you on" Said Oliver with confidence but knowing inside that he was scared.

"I can hear the quiver in your voice" sneered the devilish creature at that he launched himself towards Oliver, aiming for his neck.

Oliver quickly crouched and avoided the attack. Using his sword he took a strong stance and waiting again to see the vampire come out of the shadows. He was venerable, out in the open moonlight he was not able to see into the deep dark forest of Skyrim and can only find the vampire by seeing his glaring eyes penetrating his soul. Once again, the vampire launched himself at the man but this time, he casted his spell at him.

Oliver was able to stab the vampire right through the heart right before he could bite his neck. Having the dead vampire now lying on top of him he took notice of the fact that he now had contracted Sanguinare Vampiris.

In desperation he looked through his satchel and could not find a cure of disease potion. Oliver now began to search the vampire, looking through the vampire's possessions he began to read some letters that were given to the so called "Freancio" vampire;

"Freancio,

We will soon make an attack on the Morthal city. We have plenty of insiders as guards and citizens. Your job is to keep recruiting wonderers from the trails. We need enough to silently overthrow the Jarl of Morthal.

Yours,

Watcher of Morthal"

In learning so; without being able to find his horse, Oliver began to travel by foot to Morthal. Nearing daylight, the effects of Vampirism began to kick in slowly, even though it normally takes around 3 full days to become a Vampire, poor Oliver was already weak from his accident with the bandits and the recent fight with a vampire thus speeding the process.

Entering the city of Morthal, Oliver quickly entered a shop and began to purchase a few health and cure of disease potions. As he left the shop, standing in the middle of the dirt road Oliver had to think of which was a more important decision, to find Anastasia or try and save the Jarl of Morthal. Taking his priorities, he knew that Anastasia was more important to him then some Jarl and decided to keep on his journey to Solitude.

Avoiding the road, Oliver decided that the faster way would be to travel through the marshes and the lake, landing on The East Empire Company Trade docks in a small boat he borrowed from Morthal, entering the dockyard he stood in awe of the view before him. The great city of Solitude, this citadel was well founded and a key factor of Skyrim's history. With it's control of the trade and heavy protected by the rocks, Solitude was a place to hold a real battle.

Passing by the Khajiit caravan he was greeted by his fellow guards men and he began to ask questions of a foreign legionneer woman that had radiating green eyes, a height around 5"7 and long brown hair with soft features, in response the guardsmen agreed to the description and scripted Oliver to head to the Castle Dour.

Upon nearing the Castle Dour, he could see Anastasia, but instead of being in rags of the citizenry, she was now wearing an Imperial Legion's Armour and training along with the rest. Seeing such sight brought happiness and sadness to his heart, to know that this Priestess now has want she wants was what brought him joy but to know that her innocence would soon be lost is what saddened him. He decided that it would be best to approach her;

"Anastasia, hello. Not sure if you remember me, it's Oliver"

She stopped at her training, stared into his eyes and jumped of joy at seeing him alive, she then gave him a hug.

"Auxiliary! Stop showing public affection!" Commanding the Drill Officer

Said so, Anastasia stopped hugging Oliver and began to converse.

"I'm busy at the moment, but can we talk afterwards?"

"Sure, don't worry about it, I'll wait here"

From that, a announcement was made, a Officer had exited the Castle Dour to ask for Anastasia's presence at General's Tullius' Strategy Room.

"Oliver, please, can you come with me? I've never spoken to the General and I'm scared of what is to come"

"Don't worry, I'll go with you, I'll keep you safe"

Entering the Castle Dour, the lighting was dim up until they neared the General's Strategy Room where rays of sunlight blinded their view of the General and his Assistant.

* * *

**[ENDING NOTE]: So what did you all think about this? I know it was pretty short and rushed but I didnt want to have Oliver do more then he should have, this is basically a filler and I dont want to give Oliver any projects up until he meets with Anastasia again. Also, note this story is about Ansastasia NOT Oliver, and I have noticed that Im focusing on him too much, thats why he's going to die next chapter. If you guys have any ideas on how his death can be, just hit me up. With a mallet. **


	5. The Arrival - Part One

**Author's Note: Well... first of all, Im sure you all are thinking right now; WTFF WHY DID THEY JUST UPDATE NOW? AFTER LIKE EIGHT YEARS. Well, to say, I did have this chapter done, sooner, but whats worse is that... I actually had it done the day after I updated the last chapter and only had the guts to update it till now haha :)... :'( Im sorry guys that it took this long, but trust me, I will have more chapters updated after this EACH DAY! YEAHHHH. Well... actually I've only done two chapters in advance haha so yeah... love y'all!**

Entering the Strategy Room, Anastasia felt overwhelmed to be able to see General Tulluis and his adviser. Since she was a fresh recruit, she was not sure of proper military protocol so standing awkwardly she tried to show respect by bowing.

"At ease recruit, I brought you here because the men have been saying you were one of the few survivors from the dragon attack in Helgen, is that true?"

"Yes Sir, it was a terrifying experience but thankfully Legioner Hadvar was by my side. We managed to escape safely-"

The man blinked, "That is enough. Thank you."

"Yes sir," Anastasia assured.

"Legate Rikki," he then turned towards the female officer, "I hope that this quest will be enough for her. I mean, just look at her; a simple woman," he spoke in regards to the previous conversation.

The Legate sighed, "Sire, you are the General here, and I am the Nord, I believe it's best that we go after the Jagged Crown before letting Ulfric get to it."

/Was that a hint of sass? Aside from all, General Tullius knew that all she had in mind was for Skyrim to be united once again./

"Hmph." The General turned back towards the recruit, "Alright. Auxiliary! Your new quest is to retrieve the Jagged Crown, doing so will demonstrate that you are truly ready for the Legion."

"Yes sir!"

~-~

A year had passed since her initial meeting with General Tulius. During such year-after each battle-Anastsia grew colder. Upon the death of each enemy she killed, she began to see herself as a cold savage animal; hungry for blood. With her skill and Oliver's aid, Anastasia-along with the Imperial Legion-was able to defeat the Stormcloack Rebellion and finish off Ulfric herself with the given permission of General Tulluis.

By journeying all over Skyrim and completing, Anastasia was granted many noble titles of Thane across the Jarldoms and awarded many medals from the Imperial Legion. She soon found out that the dragons too waged a war, not one to the Empire, but one to all of Skyrim, even Nirn.

Anastasia found herself now battling the dragons of Alduin and was apparently the last Dragonborn-according to the Greybeards. After the fall of Alduin in Sovangard, Anastasia tried to root out the Deadra who were trying to corrupt Skyrim but found that not all Deadra were corrupt.

After routing out the majority of evils and dangers of Skyrim, Anastasia decided to settle down in a Manor in Solitude but she knew she had many troubles that still lied hidden in Skyrim and she yet had not approached Markath, possibly because even after all the battles she had won, none were as hard as being able to explain her absence to the Priestesses.

Aside from all, Oliver and Anastasia grew to become close friends. Oliver dedicated his time to helping Anastasia in her battles and even dedicated to be her Housecarl.

~-~

There was a knock on the door and so Oliver sent a maid to the door, where she brought a letter back to him, who was waiting at the table. Finishing the meal he had been eating, Oliver took the paper from the table as he stood, then proceeded to the second floor of the Manor and approached Anastasia's room. Knocking upon the door, he heard Anastasia's voice which allowed for him to enter.

She was all ready, in her Legate uniform as Oliver entered the room, she took the letter and dismissed him. Left to the solidarity her room, she sat down on the side of her bed, looking a bit stiff because of her uniform, she began to read the letter;

"To: Thane Anastasia from Markath  
From: Jarl Elisif of Solitude

Thane Anastasia, your presence has been requested at the Blue Palace for a Royal Ball. There will be a special celebration of a visitor arriving from the Capital, you are allowed to bring a special guest with you and the event will occur on Midas(CHAK) at 7:00 in the eve.

Hope to see you there,

Your Jarl,

Elisif of Solitude"

Finishing the letting, she looked over at her calendar and noticed that it was in fact Midas. Hurriedly, she ordered a maid to purchase her the finest dress in Radiant Raymens while she was out for work. Nearing the Castle Dour, she could see the new troops training and began to head to the Office of General Tullius;

"Sir"

"At ease, Legate"

"General, I have finished my tasks of the week, the Hold has been protected from dragons quiet well. Is there anything special you wish to assign me?"

The General took a deep breath, "Yes, a Legate and Aristocrat from the Capital is arriving today, I'm sure that you have been invited by now-given your noble title in Solitude-your object will be to befriend this stranger; he is King of the Colovian States, now yes, it sounds good but the Empire does not like him as much considering his States are constantly rebellious so it is odd as to why he has been brought here. Make sure of his intentions and report back to me. Understood?"

"Yes Sir!" Anastasia saluted.

"Alright, dismissed."

The female then pressed forward, back to her manor, upon entering it, she greeted her maids and went on her search for Oliver.

Once she had found him, she approached him slowly, "Excuse me Oliver, do you have any plans for tonight?"

Oliver looked up from whatever he had been reading and furrowed his brows, "Not at all, why do you ask?"

"Well, it looks like you will be accompanying me to the Royal Ball that is occurring today at the Blue Palace. We will be having a very special guest coming from the Capital and General Tullius commanded me to befriend him to figure out his true task, care to help me out?" She offered, her voice a little excited.

"Yes, of course! I would be honoured to be your escort to the Royal Ball."

"Well, remember!" She raised her hand in defense, "You are my friend, we are going as friends, alright?"

"Yes, yes, dont worry," Oliver chuckled wholeheartedly.

"I mean it! I dont want to make people think that we are a couple; it's strict business!" At this point, she was blushing since she remembered of the previous incident. "Now, hurry! Fetch me a maid, I need get my dress back. We are burning sunlight!"

As Oliver told the maid to get Anastasia's dress, he returned to Anastasia's chambers to see that she was missing. At this, he was shocked, why would she leave all of the sudden? It was not until he noticed, her escape was not by choice but a capture, but from whom? Oliver began to study the evidence, he could see that the floor mat had been move in the struggle of Anastasia and the drapes of her room had been ripped, as if Anastasia tried to pull herself with them. The key evidence was the blood and cloth remains on the floor, which proved that before her capture Anastasia put up a struggle, possibly with her sword. She was able to slightly cut her opponent in the struggle and parts of his cloth came down with his blood. On another note, the opponent had possibly used magic to muffle his steps and even put Anastasia to sleep so she could not scream for help.

Oliver immediately ordered the maids to keep the Manor on lock down, he desperately shouted for a guard and told the guard to protect the manor until he arrived. Oliver quickly decided to survey the surroundings, he looked out the patio and saw a hook and a rope still hung from the wall. The fall was high, how was this opponent able to carry Anastasia and go down such steepness? This was definitely well planned, and Oliver kept pondering on who was behind all this madness. With much bravery, Oliver began to climb down the mountain just as the kidnaper had. Reaching the bottom, he headed towards the newly fresh path set before him done by the drag of Anastasia's body, as it appeared, and was now nearing the Broken Oar Grotto.

**There's no final Author note, just sort of asking if those that read can review so I can actually know to update the next chapter, because I feel like people stopped bothering with this story haha...**


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